Opposition to United Nations Criticism of Israel

Floor Speech

* Mr. Speaker, I am emphatically opposed to using the U.N. to single out Israel for criticism on the issue of settlements, whether that criticism is in the form of a resolution or a statement. Should a resolution criticizing Israel come before the Security Council, the United States should clearly veto it. To the extent that we have disagreements with Israel on policy matters, we should find a way to express those differences in private, just as we would with our other close allies. The Administration has to understand that we stand by our friends through thick and thin.

* Let's be clear; the issue isn't settlements; the issue is negotiations. Israel froze settlement construction for ten months last year. Israel has shown it is ready to take risks for peace. The onus is on the Palestinian Authority. If Palestinians object to settlements or oppose building permits--negotiate.

* Israel, a friend and ally of the United States, is located in a dangerous neighborhood. Anyone who has recently watched the news or read a newspaper has seen the collapse of multilateral talks on Iran's nuclear weapons program, Hezballah's successful effort to topple the government of Lebanon, and a wave of unrest spreading throughout the Middle East. Given the threats facing Israel, the long friendship between our two nations, and Israel's strategic importance to the United States, it is critical that the U.S.-Israel relationship is strong at all levels of our government.

* The United States is in the middle of a ten-year commitment of military aid to Israel and I hope that the long tradition of strong bipartisan support in Congress to fully fund this commitment, even at a time of fiscal constraint, continues.

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